Our Story

One company. Two brands. More than 130 years of experience.

You deserve financial solutions you can count on. At Manulife and John Hancock, our customers have been counting on us to help them with their big financial decisions for more than 130 years.

A vision for Canada and our Company

Our history begins in 1887, just 20 years after our nation was born. Our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, was also our Company’s first president. His vision for both Canada and our Company set us on the path to success from our founding as the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company. Our name came from Sir John’s political platform. He felt that Canada needed to be a country of manufacturers, not just a supplier of raw materials.

Our growing global presence
We began expanding internationally in 1893 with the sale of our first policy outside Canada in Bermuda, quickly followed by entry to Asia in 1897 and the U.S. in 1903. Our growth accelerated throughout the 1980s and 1990s, leading to our largest acquisition to date — the 2004 acquisition of U.S.-based John Hancock Financial Services. We’re now one of the fastest-growing companies in Asia and we continue to grow stronger in Canada and the U.S.

Our continued commitment to you
Operating today as John Hancock in the United States and Manulife elsewhere, we help more than 22 million customers around the world with their big financial decisions. Through our international network of more than 35,000 employees and 70,000 agents, we provide financial advice, insurance and wealth and asset management solutions that support our customers’ lifestyles and secure their financial futures.

Our History

For more than 130 years, Manulife has grown and evolved. Keep reading to learn more about our brand and our Company’s significant achievements. The span of years covered by each accordion section is based on changes in our logo and brand identity.

The Arm and Hammer, a symbol of both labour and manufacturing, linked the Company’s image to founding President Sir John A. Macdonald’s political platform. Sir John, Canada’s first Prime Minister, believed that Canada needed a manufacturing sector rather than relying solely on agrarianism.

June 23, 1887 — The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company is incorporated by Act of Parliament.

1893 — The sale of our first policy outside of Canada, in Bermuda, begins a long tradition of international operations.

1896 — The Company’s assets are $1.2 million. This was the fastest 10-year growth of any Canadian company at the time.

1999 — We are the first Canadian life insurance company to launch a joint venture in Japan.

1999 — Demutualization is approved by policyholders. This converted Manulife from a mutual life insurance company to an investor-owned, publicly-traded stock company. Later that year, shares of Manulife Financial Corporation begin trading on the TSX, NYSE, SEHK and PSE.

1999 — Chinfon–Manulife Insurance Company, now Manulife (Vietnam) Limited, is the first wholly foreign-owned life insurance company authorized to transact business in Vietnam.

2003 — Manulife and John Hancock announce a stock-for-stock transfer. Completed in April 2004, this merger created the largest life insurer in Canada, second largest in North America and fifth largest in the world.

We remove "Financial" and "For your future” for more visual impact. A dual-brand logo (Manulife and John Hancock) is introduced for corporate communications.

February 2, 2015 – We acquire the Canadian operations of Standard Life.

April 8, 2015 – We announce an exclusive, first-ever U.S. life insurance partnership between John Hancock Insurance and Vitality, the global leader in integrating wellness benefits with life insurance products. In 2016 we added the HealthyFood program, and announced we would bring Vitality to Canada.

April 14, 2015 – We acquire New York Life’s Retirement Plan Services business.

August 10, 2015 – Manulife Asia announces the launch of ManulifeMOVE, an innovative insurance concept that rewards customers for being healthier and more active.

September 1, 2015 – Manulife is the first company in Canada to introduce voice biometrics as well as natural language understanding in a single interactive voice response (IVR) system in both English and French.

On July 13, 1887 Sir John A. Macdonald (b.1815 - d.1891) was first elected President of the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company, on the occasion of the first meeting of the Board of Directors following the Company's incorporation on June 23rd.

Macdonald held the positions of President of Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and Prime Minister of Canada simultaneously until his death in 1891. Elected the first Prime Minister of Canada in 1867, he served two terms as Canada’s leader, 1867 to 1873 and 1878 to 1891.

Macdonald’s role at Manulife was more like that of a present day Chairman of the Board, serving as a figurehead for the company, with his reputation and prominence lending a certain amount of respect to the Company's name.

The name “Manufacturers” has its origins in the political platform of John A. Macdonald. His “National Policy” plan included the need for an expanded manufacturing base to broaden the market as the nation shifted from an agrarian-based economy to a more mixed economy. In the 1870s and 1880s, “manufacturers” stood for progress.

At the time of John A. Macdonald’s death in 1891, the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company wrote $2 million of new business, reached $7.4 million of Business in Force and its assets totalled $438,000 in its first four years of operation.

One of the founding officers of the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company in 1887, George Gooderham (b.1820 - d.1905) served as one of the Company’s first Vice Presidents. He also has the distinction of being the Company’s first policyholder, purchasing a 10-year endowment.

Active in a number of business interests concurrent to his positions with the Company, Mr. Gooderham was also President of the family-owned Gooderham and Worts Distillery; President of both the Bank of Toronto and the Canada Permanent Mortgage Corporation; Director of the Toronto General Trust Company and Vice President of the Western Canada Loan and Savings Company.

After the death of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1891, George Gooderham became the Company’s second President. He served in this capacity until the Company’s amalgamation with Temperance and General Life Assurance Company in 1901. He relinquished the presidency of Manufacturers Life to Sir George W. Ross in order to avoid alienating policyholders- many of whom abstained from alcohol.

During Mr. Gooderham's presidency the Board of Directors made the decision to enter into foreign territories. By the time he stepped down as President in 1901, the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company had established agencies in the Caribbean, throughout Asia, and followed the gold rush into the Yukon. In ten years from 1891 to 1901, the Company’s New Business rose from $2.1 million to $5 million, Business in Force increased from $7.4 million to $27 million and assets increased from $438 000 to $3.7 million.

Two of George Gooderham's sons later succeeded him as President of Manufacturers Life: William George Gooderham in 1914, and Melville Ross Gooderham in 1935.

President of Temperance and General Life Assurance Company since its founding in 1886, Sir George William Ross (b.1841 - d.1914) became President of Manufacturers Life Insurance Company in 1901 after the amalgamation of the two companies. A temperance advocate, Ross was also the first policyholder of the Temperance and General.

A prominent political figure, Mr. Ross served as Ontario’s Minister of Education in 1883, pioneering many education reforms and creating Ontario’s public library system. From 1899 to 1905 George Ross was Premier of Ontario, responsible for a number of social and labour initiatives. After serving as Leader of the Official Opposition in Ontario’s Provincial Legislature he was named to Canada’s federal Senate in 1907. As a result of his years of public service in both Federal and Provincial politics, George Ross received a knighthood from King George V in 1910.

Under the Presidency of George Ross, the Company continued to expand operations outside Canada - including the Company’s successful entry into the United States in 1903. Between 1901 and 1914 the Company’s New Business increased from $5 million to $12.5 million, Business in Force from $27 million to $82 million and assets from $3.7 million to $19.2 million.

The eldest son and brother of former Company Presidents George Gooderham and Melville Ross Gooderham, William George Gooderham (b.1853 - d.1935) became President in 1914 upon the death of Sir George Ross.

William George Gooderham followed his father, former Company President George Gooderham, in pursuing business interests outside Manufacturers Life; both occupied the Presidencies of the Bank of Toronto and Canada Permanent Mortgage Corporation.

During William George Gooderham’s Presidency, the Company relocated its head office to its present location on Bloor Street East in Toronto. The original six-story office building officially opened in August 1925.

Mr. Gooderham introduced the President’s Trophy in 1923. Awarded to the branch deemed to have achieving the best all-round performance in agency development, the much sought after trophy was retired at the outbreak of the Second World War.

Despite his term of presidency spanning both the First World War and the early years of the Great Depression, the Company continued to flourish under William George Gooderham’s direction. From 1914 to 1935 the Company’s New Business increased from $12.5 million to $67 million, Business in Force from $82 million to $520 million and assets from $19.2 million to $134 million.

Melville Ross Gooderham (b.1877 - d.1951), son and brother of past Presidents George and William George, joined the Company in 1907 as a Director and Second Vice President. Resigning in 1916 to serve overseas with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, he rejoined the Company after the First World War. In 1935 M.R. Gooderham was named the fifth President of the Company.

A graduate of Osgoode Hall and called to the Bar of Ontario in 1900, M.R. Gooderham was a member of the law firms Beatty, Blackstock, Fasken, Nesbitt & Riddell; Beatty Blackstock; Galt, Gooderham & Towers, Galt, Gooderham & Company and Gooderham, Martin & Company. Mr. Gooderham also held Directorships in the Canada Permanent Trust Company and Consumers’ Gas Company of Toronto.

As President of the Company for the duration of the Great Depression and throughout the Second World War, Melville Ross Gooderham guided the Company during a turbulent economic period. Despite the forced withdrawal from some of the Company's foreign operations as a result of the war, the Company continued to function effectively, and sold its 1 millionth policy in 1947. Between 1935 and 1951 the Company’s New Business increased from $67 million to $198, Business in Force from $520 million to $1.4 billion and assets from $134 million to $450 million.

At the time of his death, Melville Ross held slightly more than 45 per cent of the Company’s stock. The possibility of this stock leaving Canada was one of the contributing factors leading to the mutualization of the Company.

Career
1907 Director and Second Vice President
1911 First Vice President
1915 Managing Director
1929 Vice President
1931 Vice President and General Counsel
1935 President

James Hector Lithgow (b.1890 - d.1966) joined the Company as a Clerk in the Actuarial Department in 1908, shortly before playing centre for the Manufacturers Life hockey team during its championship 1909-1910 Toronto Financial Hockey League season. Leaving to serve as a gunner in the Canadian Field Artillery during the First World War, Mr. Lithgow returned to the Company in 1919. He held several positions in the Company rapidly rising through the Executive ranks before being named President in 1951. Elected to the newly created position of Chairman of the Board in 1956, Mr. Lithgow stepped down as President and remained with the Company as Chairman until his retirement in 1959.

J.H. Lithgow triggered the proceedings leading to the mutualization of the Company in the 1950s by initiating conversations with the trustees of the Melville Ross Gooderham Estate. Also during his presidency, with head office staff numbering 650, plans were drawn up for an 11-storey addition to the head office building on Bloor Street. The addition, now known as South Tower, was completed in 1953.

Between 1951 and 1956 the Company’s New Business increased from $198 million to $346 million, Business in Force from $1.4 billion to $2.3 billion and assets from $450 million to $716 million.

Career
1908 Clerk, Actuarial Department
1919 Assistant Actuary
1924 Actuary
1930 Assistant General Manager and Actuary
1931 General Manager and Actuary
1936 General Manager and Board of Director
1944 Vice President and General Manager
1951 President
1956 Chairman of the Board

George Llewelyn Holmes (b.1898 - d.2000) joined the Company in 1919, working in the Actuarial Department for former President James H. Lithgow. Elected to the Board of Directors in 1954, Mr. Holmes became President of the Company in 1956. He relinquished the presidency upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 in 1964 and was elected Chairman of the Board. In 1972 he stepped down as Chairman of the Board, but continued to serve as a Director until 1975.

During Mr. Holmes’ first year as President, the Company installed its first major business computer - the IBM 650. For the bulk of his presidency, Mr Holmes was deeply involved in the mutualization proceedings initiated by former President Lithgow and officially underway in 1958. The mutualization of the Company involved dialogue with both the federal and provincial governments and extensive negotiations with the Melville Ross Gooderham estate and other major stockholders. The mutualization of the Company was complete in 1968, while George Holmes was Chairman of the Board.

Between 1956 and 1964 the Company’s New Business increased from $346 million to $810 million, Business in Force from $2.3 billion to $5.2 billion and assets from $716 million to $1.3 billion.

On the occasion of Mr. Holmes’ 100th birthday in 1998, the Company’s Board of Directors passed a resolution honouring his accomplishments with the Company.

Alfred Thomas Seedhouse (b.1906 - d.1978) began his 53 years with the Company in 1925 as a clerk in the Cashiers Department. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1962, before becoming president of the Company in 1964. Upon his retirement in 1972, Alfred Seedhouse was elected Chairman of the Board, a position held until his death in 1978.

During his presidency, 250 Bloor Street East was planned and constructed and he presided over the groundbreaking of the Manulife Centre in Toronto. Mr. Seedhouse travelled extensively to the Company’s branches and attended numerous conventions and conferences. His knowledge of the Company’s investments and investment philosophy was essential to the expansion of the Company’s role as an international company. His presidency also saw the purchase of large-scale computers, ensuring Manulife was at the leading edge of computer applications in the insurance industry.

Between 1964 and 1972 the Company’s New Business increased from $810 million to $2 billion, Business in Force from $5.2 billion to $10.6 billion and assets from $1.3 billion to $2.3 billion.

Edwin Sydney Jackson left the University of Manitoba, where he lectured in Actuarial Science, to join the Company in 1948. Mr. Jackson became President in 1972, a position held until 1985. In addition to the presidency, Mr. Jackson also served as acting Chairman of the Board from 1978 to 1985, Chairman of the Board from 1985 to 1990 and Vice Chairman from 1990 until his retirement in 1994.

Among Mr. Jackson’s initiatives was a large-scale reorganization of the Company including a decentralization of Company operations and the implementation of progressive human resource policies and practices to create a dynamic work atmosphere. The addition to Head Office, now known as North Tower, started in 1980 and was completed in 1983. The acquisition of the Dominion Life Assurance Company in 1984 and the subsequent integration of Dominion Life staff and operations resulted in the transfer of Company’s Canadian Operations from Toronto to Waterloo.

Between 1972 and 1985 the Company’s New Business increased from $2 billion to $25 billion, Business in Force from $10.6 billion to $85 billion and assets from $2.3 billion to $16.5 billion.

Thomas A. Di Giacomo first joined the Company in 1966 as a Portfolio Manager in U.S. Equities. In 1985 he became President and Chief Operating Officer, later becoming President and Chief Executive Officer in 1987. In 1990 he was named Chairman of the Board, a post held until his resignation in 1993.

During Mr. Di Giacomo’s tenure as President, the Company celebrated its 100th Anniversary and received its Letters Patent in 1987. In 1988 Canadian Operations moved into its newly constructed building in Waterloo. The Company’s Asian business expanded, as it commenced operations in Indonesia, South Korea and Taiwan. Mr. Di Giacomo visited China in 1992 to meet with banking officials and paved the way for the Company to become the first Canadian life insurance company to open a representative office in Beijing, China. Also during his tenure, Cabot Trust, Huronia Trust and Regional Trust were purchased and subsequently merged into the newly created Manulife Bank of Canada in 1993 - the first bank owned by a life insurance company.

Elected to the Board of Directors in 1991, William Blundell served as interim Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company after the resignation of Thomas Di Giacomo in 1993. The following year he was elected Chairman of the Board, a position held until 1998.

Dominic D’Alessandro joined the Company in 1994 as President and Chief Executive Officer. During his fifteen-year tenure, Mr. D’Alessandro transformed Manulife from a small mutual life insurance company to one of the largest life insurance companies in the world.Mr. D’Alessandro led the company through a number of transformative acquisitions, including Confederation Life’s Group Operations in 1994, and the amalgamation with North American Life Assurance Company in 1996. In 1996 Manulife achieved a long term goal of re-entry to the People’s Republic of China with the formation of Manulife – Sinochem the first joint venture company to be licensed in China. Re-entry to Japan was achieved in 1999 through an initial joint venture with Daihyaku Mutual Life Insurance Company.

In September 1999, Mr. D’Alessandro led the successful demutualization and conversion of Manulife to public company status. This important accomplishment set the stage for the Company to become a world leader in the financial services industry. In 2004, he managed the largest cross-border transaction in Canadian history with the successful completion of the merger with John Hancock Financial Services, creating one of the largest life insurance companies in the world.

Mr. D'Alessandro has received many awards and honours throughout his career, some highlights include:

2008 Inducted into Insurance Hall of Fame
2008 Appointed as a “Commendatore” of the Order of the Star of Italy
2005 Honoured with the International Horatio Alger Award
2004 Named ‘Canada’s Most Respected CEO’ for 2004
2003 Appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada
2002 Named Canada's CEO of the year by his peers

Donald Guloien is President and Chief Executive Officer of Manulife. A 34-year company veteran, he is a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Company’s Executive Committee.

Mr. Guloien is a Director of the Geneva Association, a member of the Mayor of Shanghai's International Business Leaders' Advisory Council, a member of the Board of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, the Immediate Past Chair and a Director of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, a Trustee of The Hospital for Sick Children, a Governor of Branksome Hall and a member of the Campaign Cabinet for United Way. He is also a member of the Ticker Club, the World Presidents' Organization, and has had a life-long involvement with the University of Toronto.

Mr. Guloien has been named International Business Executive of the Year by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, awarded The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal, and received the Arbor Award for his contributions to the University of Toronto in various leadership capacities. He was ranked among the top 5 Highest Rated CEOs in Canada in Glassdoor.com’s 2015 Employees’ Choice Awards, based on assessments by current and past employees.

Before being appointed to his current role in 2009, Mr. Guloien served as Chief Investment Officer, where he was recognized as a leading global investment executive. He was responsible for Manulife's worldwide investment operations, and led the significant growth of Manulife Asset Management, a global leader in wealth management services, including retail mutual funds, pension funds, and endowments. During that period, he also led the integration of Manulife’s investment operations with those of John Hancock in 2004, creating one of the strongest global investment management franchises in the industry.

Mr. Guloien has wide-ranging international experience. In his investment role he was responsible for Manulife’s global investment operations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Asia. In June 2007, his portfolio was expanded to include the company’s Asian Insurance and Wealth Management operations representing Japan, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Macau.

From 1994 to 2001, he led Manulife’s Business Development unit, spearheading a number of key acquisitions, divestitures and strategic initiatives, including: the merger of Manulife with North American Life Assurance Company; the sale of Manulife’s U.K. business; Manulife’s conversion from a mutual life insurance company to a publicly traded stock company; and Manulife’s entry into Japan.

Mr. Guloien joined Manulife in 1981 as a research analyst and quickly moved through several leadership roles in both the Canadian and U.S. Divisions. In 1990, he became Vice President, US Individual Business, where he was responsible for the operations of the Company's individual insurance and annuity business in the United States.

Mr. Guloien’s involvement at the University of Toronto includes being a current member of the Campaign Cabinet, and a former membership in the Governing Council, the Executive Committee and Business Affairs Committee of the Governing Council, the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Budget, the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the School of Graduate Studies, the Hart House Board of Stewards, and the Campaign Cabinet for the Rotman School. Former board memberships include the Children’s Aid Society Foundation, ThinkFirst Foundation of Canada and LIMRA International.

Mr. Guloien holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto. He is married and has two children.

Technology is changing — and so are we

You deserve a financial services partner that can keep up with your lifestyle. From wearable devices to the latest in mobile tech, we’re always looking for new ways to use technology to make it faster, smarter and simpler to work with us.

Our very own innovation hubs

When you’ve been in business for as long we have, it can be easy to fall into the trap of doing things a certain way — for no other reason than “that’s how it’s always been done.” That’s why we’re adopting a startup mentality, embracing the energy, agility and ingenuity of early-stage companies.

In Boston, Toronto and Singapore, the LOFT — Lab of Forward Thinking — works with us to find innovative solutions for our customers. These innovation hubs offer an ecosystem where worthy ideas are given a fighting chance: where they’re prototyped and they can safely fail fast. The LOFT also brings together bright employees from across our business to collaborate and innovate through brainstorming and events like hackathons. At RED Lab (Research, Exploration and Development Laboratory) in Waterloo, we explore new technologies, develop mobile applications and test out-of-the-box ideas. All our initiatives are elevated by our partnerships with data-driven startup communities like Communitech, MassChallenge, Startup Institute and MaRS Discovery District.

Manulife and John Hancock employees work together at a LOFT hackathon in Boston.

Collaboration is key at the RED Lab in Waterloo.

Growing ideas from the ground up

What we love most about LOFT and RED Lab is they offer an ecosystem where new and exciting ideas can be cultivated and prototyped. This means we can figure out what works — and what doesn’t — before bringing it to you.

The ground-breaking research and insights collected by both innovation hubs are shared across our business to continue to inspire and challenge us all to think about how we can do things better.

A whole new approach to life insurance

Technology is changing how people everywhere engage with their health and fitness, which is why we’re always looking for ways to improve our products to better meet the needs of your lifestyle. In the U.S., Hong Kong and Canada we’ve rolled out a whole new approach to life insurance that rewards our customers for making healthy choices. The programs are fully integrated with wearable fitness trackers and mobile apps, making it even easier for them to log their progress and meet their personal goals.